Issues discussed during the course of the
presentation and discussion included: the desire to include
Wiltshire within a procurement project that involves Wiltshire,
BANES and Swindon areas; that the contract should be valued at
between £13 and £16m a year over 5 years; that the
project would be subject to official European procurement
procedures; that Wiltshire’s
proportion of the project should be around £2m; how
Wiltshire’s interests are protected through the process; and
the timetable for the process;

Councillor Gordon King, expressed concern over the
issues of maintaining Wiltshire’s interest, and whether the
proposed integration would lead to a meaningful change resulting in
more effective service for Wiltshire’s residents. In
response, Councillor Wickham stated that he was assured, so far,
that the contract was right for Wiltshire Council and its
residents, and that a further report would be discussed in January
2017.

In response to questions raised by Councillor
Glennis Ansell, Councillor Wickham
stated that he was also keen that the project did not expose the
Council to any unnecessary additional financial risk, nor that the
partnership would result in a slip in performance. In addition he
expected that the project would result in a reduction in management
costs overall.